BeLOnGings

Now that summer has arrived in Minnesota, this morning we took our weekly bike ride to the local coffee shop to take our weekly glance at the local paper. 

As you can see it’s a story that is being repeated endlessly not only in the USA but worldwide, that has been dubbed ‘The affordable housing crisis.’

The neighboring City of Minneapolis has been making some significant efforts to address the problem, in contrast to our experience with the City of Robbinsdale which seems stuck between an ostrich and a dinosaur.

As I said last week we are planning to move on from here carrying the calling of our hospitable God to some other “grace space”

We have experienced in bucketfulls the truth of Psalm 68:6, that, “God places the solitary in families, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. ” 

Mother Theresa was often asked what she believed was the greatest source of suffering. Her answer: loneliness. Studies are bearing out the fact that loneliness is the #1 factor in illness… and this is a growing problem! One in 5 people in England currently say they do not have a single friend!

We never went ‘looking’ for ‘solitary’ people to fill The Big Green House, but God  clearly brought to us those he had selected, one by one…. over 80 of them over the 17 years we’ve lived here. Usually he had already begun dealing with the “rebellious”  nature that is in us all, but is often accentuated in those whose childhood wounding has been a central role in their becoming isolated. They came with varying levels of brokenness and desperation. We saw our role as co-operating with the Holy Spirit to help people to continue to journey our of that wounded place and find healing in the Father’s love so that they could become happy healthy individuals able to integrate again as blessed family members.

Here is part of one of the testimonies we received,

…….I was essentially alone in the Midwest without anyone, without any family to lean on, wrought with grief, despair, and fear. I suffered from such severe panic attacks and unrelenting insomnia, I lost job after job due to exhaustion and emotional fragility. I became extremely ill and weak; I thought I was dying. I withdrew from all social activities and isolated myself completely, ashamed of my circumstances and utterly depressed. I saw doctor after doctor; nobody was able to help me.

I met the Kyles through a friend who was living there at the time. Their home was a place I felt loved and safe. When I finally asked to move in–and they agreed–it was, for me, the ultimate surrender. It felt like I was collapsing, finally….as I’d needed to for so many months, but couldn’t (there hadn’t been anywhere for me to ‘land’).

I experienced tremendous healing and spiritual growth: partly due to their ministering, partly due to having a safe space to finally open my heart and receive Divine love and guidance on a personal level. I changed more in that year than I ever have in my entire life, and entirely for the better. I unraveled decades of accumulated fears and limiting beliefs and patterns. I learned, for the first time, and in a way I will NEVER forget, what grace is. I would often wake up in that house and weep in gratitude and relief, finally seeing some light coming through the cracks in my shattered heart. 

My time there redefined honesty, authenticity, accountability, forgiveness, humility, and redemption. I left utterly transformed: healthy, happy, and full of love and hope. I learned as well the power of community, that we need not walk through this life alone…and this has radically changed how I live and relate to others. I am a better person and better citizen of this world as a result. 

We are convinced the answer to the problem headlined above is not a bigger and better institutionalized program but a smaller and sweeter family presence in our world. It is to this we will remain committed wherever we might be lead to go.  

A number of you picked up on my comment about our moving on from Robbinsdale. Already Hilary and I have begun sorting through the Big Green Stuff in order to downsize for our next place of ‘lodging’

This morning working through papers in my office I came across a poem I barely remember writing a few years ago. I read it and thought, ‘Very timely!’  for this season of the year, this season of the Lord’s purposes, and  this season of our lives.

Here it is:

The Awakening

Winter awakens

To naked trees blooming,

Stripped and uncovered

Their bare bones emerging

From the season of purging

Grace covering truth.

 

Adam awakens

To naked Eve shining,

Standing unaided

Her other half eyeing,

Soon they will be lied to

And lying as one

 

Abram awakens

To naked flame burning,

Weaving unaided

‘Tween split beasts – a – grieving

He lies, merely breathing

Yet covenant sealed.

 

Jesus awakens

To naked face smiling.

Face of the Father

A mirror reflecting

Through ages unending

The kiss of the One.

 

Mankind awakens

To naked God dining.

Three cheers full of glory

Round table are toasting

Creation now feasting

And man in God home

 

Thank you! In participating by reading the poem YOU have now completed it, and I can assign the sheet of paper to the trash (bin) and move on to the next manilla folder, for in being shared with you – it has had a life : – )

P.S. Ah Yes! – The photo

These are the two blooming trees (cherubim) before the open door of the Big Green House. This may be the last time we see them ‘awakening” in bloom before we move. As one of you said, “The end of a chapter”

You may notice Glbert’s white car to the side. The hidden license plate reads:

254 REX

This was my mother’s starting scripture/prayer for each day, Psalm 25:4

“Show me your way O Lord, teach me your paths

Guide me in your truth and teach me.

For you are God my Savior, and in you do I trust/hope/wait all this day long.”

REX means King and so this is our prayer as we seek first the kingdom, and follow the King who rides on the ‘white horse’  (Rev.19:11-24) to another grace space in this next chapter.

On April 3rd I posted “Minnesota (not so) Nice” with a photo of the “Vision of Peace” statue at the Ramsey County Criminal Court where we attended the trial of our friend Bill.

When David and I prayed that day at the foot of the statue we both received the word “MERCY”

The subsequent verdict of “Guilty” on March 20th did not seem to reflect what we had just heard. However timing is everything, and the date of Bill’s sentencing was last week, on MAY 8th

On that day, MAY 8th, the City of Saint Paul experienced an almost record breaking 1.45 inches of relentless rain.

A few years ago our son Ben was inspired to write a song with the lines,

Oh Saint Paul, city of peace and righteousness

City where the Lord and the angels talk

…..Rain down, purple rain I wanna hear the sound

I wanna feel the royal rain on me

I wanna feel the holy water running like a holy stream

I wanna be baptized in the city in the Mississippi

That day, MAY 8th, the same judge who had issued the “Guilty” verdict shocked us all by imposing the mildest sentence possible. Instead of 10 years in prison, Bill got no jail, was put on probation for three years and given ample time to complete the tax forms the government are demanding after which the felony charge will be downgraded to a misdemeanor. In Bill’s own words, “It couldn’t have gone any better”

The scripture came to mind, “The heart of the king/judge is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it LIKE A WATERCOURSE wherever he wills.”(Prov.21:1)

MISSISSIPPI is an Ojibwe word meaning Great River. The first European to see it was the Spaniard, Hernando de Soto, who renamed it in 1541, “Rio del Esparto Santo” which means “RIVER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT”.

I discovered today he named it on……… MAY 8th!……478 years go!

GOD’S JUDGEMENTS ARE HIS MERCY.……..and since ALL authority is from God (Rm.13:1) this includes ALL judgements and judges whether they are the ones we would have chosen or not.” The Lord has made everything for it’s purpose, even the wicked (judgements and judges) for the day of trouble.” (Prov.16:4) 

In this sense the “Guilty” verdict on March 20th was just as much the mercy of God as the the sentencing on May 8th.

God uses these judgements “to change us in things” (such as the Robbinsdale City Council’s ruling against us, which was God’s way of telling us it is now time to move on from this City) and/or “to change things in us” i.e. removing the ‘idols’ from our hearts.

Another way to view this is that we are being moved from living from our souls, i.e. What I think. What I feel. What I want….. to living from our spirits which are one with His Spirit, i.e. What God thinks. What God feels. What God wants. There is just no room in the ‘kingdom of heaven’ for “soulish” sentiment, opinion or preference.

This journey is a journey of faith into a place of total trust, because we don’t yet see the bigger picture, nor the end of the story….. so we learn to wait…. in hope.

One day we will look back and thank him for it ALL.

Ben’s cry, “I wanna be baptized… in the Mississippi” is the deepest cry of every human heart, that we be totally saturated in The Great One from whom we have all come and to whom we will all go – the One who has scripted this whole story, before He created the world!

As we emigrated across the Atlantic 25 years ago I remember reading on that flight of how at that same time “The artist formerly known as Prince” best remembered for his song “Purple Rain” was returning to establish his base in the Twin Cities.  I realized we were to be engaged in a battle between two heavenly Princes, as I too brought a song I had been given to sing, “Lord Jesus we enthrone you, we proclaim you are king…….Come Lord Jesus and take your place.” (This is not a judgement on the man, Prince Rogers Nelson. We are all just playing the parts we have been assigned.)

In Revelation 12:7 we read about how Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. In verse 10 we read the outcome,

“10. Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down  which accused them before our God day and night.”

Verse 11 then describes those who have been graciously lifted from the “soulish” life to an overcoming life in the Spirit,

“11. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony…… and they loved not their lives (souls) unto the death.”

I think we are increasingly having our eyes opened to perceive and experience the extent of THE MERCY OF GOD….. “beyond all we could ask or think” for the battle is done, and the total victory won, so…..

Let there be mercy for my brother and sister, my mother my family

Let there be mercy for my friends and lovers , my foes and enemies

Let there be mercy for my words and wars, deeds and deeds I didn’t do

Let there be mercy for every soul in this city; May the Lord have pity over you.

After the last blog, one reader said she was a wee bit concerned (No prizes for guessing which nationality : – ) that it had reflected negatively on Americans.

Thankful for this comment, I pondered further and reassured her that at a personal level we have many wonderful American friends who have deeply influenced the direction of our lives, not least our amazing ‘in-laws’!

I was commenting not on people but on some negative aspects of modern American culture. On researching further the Litigious vs. Relational piece, the statistics confirmed that there are indeed three times as many lawyers per capita in the USA as in the UK! (I couldn’t find figures for Ireland)

I suggested to my friend I might do a blog about “the best of American”, and lo and behold, Raine one of our First American relatives arrived in last weekend to join a group of 24(+3) who gathered to “Dream storm” about a possible “Village” (of ‘barns’, as above) and about the Values we would want such a Village to have.

As we chatted with Raine beforehand, three hallmarks of her Native culture stood out to me that I want to highlight!

She spoke about how her Dakota language studies involved her visiting with Dakota “Elders”. She was given clear themes, and concrete targets for these assignments but as she sat down with one woman who had just lost her sister, she found herself simply “listening” to this Elder, for this was an expression of honor that she had been taught growing up.

At the end of their time together she said to the older woman, “Thank you for talking to me.”  to which the bereaved Elder replied, “Thank YOU for listening to me.”

Raine left with her school assignment unfinished, but with her spiritual assignment fulfilled.

She spoke of another Elder whom she had visited 5 times, again falling far behind on what the study supervisor required. However on the fifth visit the Elder spontaneously began to talk about the most intimate aspect of his life….how he prayed….how he didn’t ask for anything, but just gave thanks, talking naturally about everything with Wakan Tanka. This was “the language of the heart” divulged to another, whose heart he had grown to trust.

She had the day before we met been given responsibility to teach a language class to Dakota children at a special event at historic Fort Snelling. Overwhelmed by a big number of rambunctious kids she again abandoned her lesson plan, distributed her paper and crayons and then just began circulating talking to the children one by one. With each one she looked for a way to connect with them as ‘my relative’…. 

“Ha! your grandmother was my mentor… and now I am teaching you!”

Again the ‘agenda’ had to be surrendered – giving primacy to the relationship resulting in a truer and deeper learning and growing together.

I realized if that these three principles were followed by politicians in America (or anywhere else for that matter!) the political landscape would look very different!

Then I recalled an “Insiders” story I had been told about the Paisley/ McGuinness brokered peace in Northern Ireland I referenced a few weeks ago. I remembered that it was indeed these principles, of quietly honoring, meriting trust, and spiritually surrendering…. principles not just of the Dakota culture, but of the ‘Kingdom of heaven’ culture, that had in fact been behind that ‘miracle’ breakthrough.   

St. Brendan’s Launch was a great event we hosted every Sunday afternoon for 5 years in the Titanic Lounge of Kieran’s Irish pub in downtown Minneapolis.

People loved the ‘titanic Belfast family’ presence, and our performance with the God given talents of music, dance and story telling.

Mike ‘the Bike’ McCabe, featured in the last blogs, brought his ancestral Irish wit to bear each week, and together we wrote a play called, “Would the REAL St. Patrick Please Stand Up” 

It was a fine attempt to strip back the “Green beer and bagels on 17th March.” Americanized version of what it means to be Irish to get to the true heart of this people group…… and featured the transformation of “Paddy” from the drunken brawler to the true saint.

In our recent foray with our local City officials, the main City actors have been proud of their “Irish origins” This has lead me to ponder the question, “So what does it mean to be truly Irish?”

Our son Robin’s genetic analysis confirmed that our forefathers came from a small circumscribed territory on the Scottish and Ulster sides of the Irish Sea, but having committed deeply and lived intimately with the more southern Irish tribe of McAree’s and Murphy’s and Boyles and so forth for many years in Community of the King and beyond, I have realized that we ‘Celts’ share many good traits that were highlighted in our race by the Creator!

I would suggest three of these are, honoring the Creator, neighborliness and hospitality. 

To be truly Irish means to honor the Creator.

This carries with it the most fundamental instinct that the bible describes as the Law of Creator’s Rights, asserting how we are not our own property, but we belong to our Creator, and are responsible to Him.

We have been hoodwinked, as my song (copied again below) says, by “The famed and the fortuned” dictating the song….and “our fallen desires” playing us along.

Secular humanism which sees man as “the measure of all things”, arrogantly writes God out of the story with what C.S. Lewis described as “chronological snobbery”.

No one likes to hear they can’t do just what they (think) they want! So “our fallen desires” have us buy into this lawless, God denying narrative not realizing we have just shot ourselves in the foot.

Today’s ‘modern’ secular Irish society is a very recent ‘aberration’ of what is truly Irish. My scholarly Irish speaking friends would affirm that a belief in God is woven through the most fundamental cement of any culture which is the original (Gaelic) language.

Thankfully if you go to the largest annual Irish gathering (no it’s not a pop concert in Dublin, it is the agricultural show in rural Ireland) you will find amongst the people of ‘the land’ that grounded faith is as vital as ever!

Sadly at the local City level here we’ve seen little evidence of this honoring of the Creator or what the bible calls ‘the fear of the Lord’ in the treatment of the vulnerable whose care is repeatedly mandated by our Creator and theirs.

To be truly Irish means to be neighborly.

Growing up in a Belfast suburb as three brothers, it was a ‘no brainer’ that every spare minute was spent playing soccer in the garden. One to cross, one to shoot and one to save….or not, in which case the ball would often end up in the neighbor’s garden. It was a community ‘given’ that it was OK to sneak in and respectfully retrieve the ball with minimal fuss.

When the official from Robbinsdale City pulled up outside our house a year ago to issue us with a warning that we would be prosecuted if we did not radically alter our family make up, we were shocked that a soccer ball in the neighboring yard could have such weighty repercussions!

This again highlights how traditional Irish society is RELATIONAL whereas we have found American society to be LITIGIOUS where the first instinct is not to speak to the person in order to “win” him, as Jesus counseled, but to use the force of the adversarial legal system to “beat” him.

Again rather sadly in our local experience the ‘powers that be(at)’ rather than taking a ‘parental’ posture of seeking to understand and help their kids sort things out, have sought to capitalize on this fear based win/loose mentality, and grab more to ‘line the city coffers’. 

To be truly Irish means to be hospitable.

Hospitality means ‘a lover of strangers’. “Come On On On In” has been the Big Green House’s hospitality song birthed out of our native culture, and reflecting the welcoming nature of God toward all.

My American friend Sam Pascoe is often credited with the quote, “Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece an became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.”

It is sad that ‘Hospitality’ in America in most peoples minds is now equated with a money making industry. I remember when Hilary was asked by the TV reporter as she worked her way round the tables at St. Brendan’s Launch,”So why are you doing this – what’s your angle?’ they were incredulous at her answer, “We just love people and enjoy getting to know them.”     

So we remain ‘strangers’ in Robbinsdale City, for they have rejected rather than received the ‘hospitable’ message that we have been sent to represent and the question I asked way back in the March 24th 2018 blog, seems to have found an answer.

“Yes.” We are now looking for ‘another city’ – both earthly and heavenly.  

As I said, it has been two Irish Americans we have dealt with as ‘the face’ of Robbinsdale City. The code enforcement officer who called again yesterday to check if we were now in compliance (with Robbinsdale’s code that is, which is out of compliance with God’s Law) is a ‘Patrick’, and the Mayor I met with is a ‘Murphy’.

I smiled at this, for it reminded me of a friend who is one of the most ‘genuine’ living Irish saints I know, who ticks all three of the boxes above, and embodies all that is best in “Irish”.

Raised in working class Dublin, and now living a very restricted physical but vibrant spiritual life in the depths of the Fermanagh countryside with his saintly wife Bridget (Breda), he emailed me to comment on my recent posts about how we had handled the latest twist in this saga with Robbinsdale City. He had a simple but affirming message for me.

“Godly wisdom indeed!”

Paddy Murphy.

This “Paddy Murphy” is the sort of “Irish”…. “I wish I was.”

“And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life.” (2 Cor. 3:4)

I suppose Hilary and my life’s calling could be described as “Community Development” which is why I find it interesting that we have found ourselves being bullied (yes, I chose that word carefully!) over the last year by Robbinsdale City’s Department of Community Development!

I said in the last blog that I was thankful for this. One of the reasons is because the experience has confirmed in our hearts ‘God’s way’. He is Himself the perfect community of Father, Son and Spirit whose plan has always been to bring the whole of his creation into this divine unity. To do this he does not coerce us by threat, but he wins us by love.

In our human experience everyone’s first encounter with community happens for better or for worse in the context of natural family. Hilary and I were blessed with largely good experiences of families who loved and trusted in God…..an experience we have sought to emulate and bring others into.

Then in our twenties and thirties we found ourselves involved in leading a wider community of Catholics and Protestants in Belfast called “Community of the King.”

This Community became a ‘Sign of Contradiction’ during ‘The Troubles’. When the newspaper headlines around the world were highlighting the sectarian violence in which over three thousand people were killed, we were witnessing the quiet miracle of God changing hearts and bringing about a grass roots and practically grounded unity between people from the ‘two sides’

We were privileged to be part of this and learn more about ‘God’s way’ of forgiveness and kindness, as the ‘miracle’ of community came about in one of the toughest places for that to happen on earth!

The deepest lesson we took away was that:

“The heart of Community development is the development of a Community heart.”

That heart must be free from the idols of pride, self interest, sectarianism and the love of money. This is what it meant to be The Community of the King where we sought to abandon ourselves to “The King of Love” –  Jesus, in every aspect of our lives – our attitudes, speech, relationships and behavior.

It wasn’t so much about who we were, but whose we were. Nor was it about what we were doing for Him so much as what we discovered He was doing in our hearts! This is the ‘new covenant’ reality that gives Life that must replace ‘old covenant’ religion that kills.

When in 1994 there was a cessation of “The Troubles” it was not a result of clever political, military or legal  maneuvering.

The story goes that one evening the main Protestant leader, Rev. Ian Paisley was praying in his bedroom. He came downstairs and announced to his wife, “God has told me there is something else I need to do.” He then demonstrated an amazing change of heart, for he reached out in friendship to his opposite number, Martin McGuinness to whom he had previously been bitterly opposed.

God had obviously been at work in Martin’s heart too, for he responded graciously and the two, who became known as ‘The Chuckle Brothers’ because of the good humor characterizing their relationship, were then, out of their new found ‘community’, instrumental in breaking the decades long cycle of violence.

I believe in yielding to the Spirit of God in humility and moving beyond self interest and sectarianism, they chose Life, instead of perpetuating death. 

One of the most poignant moments in our drama with the local City was when at the Public Hearing the Head of the Robbinsdale Police, who happens to also be our next door neighbor, got up to testify on our behalf. His message, “The Spirit of the law is as important as the letter of the law.” 

Remarkable! – the ‘letter of the Law’ enforcement Chief having to point out to the City officials “God’s way” –  the way of the Spirit of Christ!  

Of course rules and regulations are necessary for the healthy functioning of a community, but they are not the community any more than the rulebook of Football equates to the game of Football! These structures are meant to serve not disturb the Life of the community. 

We have found that the most valuable asset in Community Development is PEOPLE. 

…….People who have discovered they are part of the Community of the Creator, the author of Life, who said, “Come let US make….” (Gen: 2:28) and who in turn reflect, as God’s children together, that divine community of mutual honoring and deferring, caring and sharing.

When this happens we have observed that Community does indeed develop and flourish! 

P.S. Oh yes – The photo?

That is Mike ‘the Bike’ this week, fixing Shiela, Amber Sky, and Hopa’s bikes, late into the night at no charge, maybe so they can ride back to visit us : – ) The heavenly community described above is a very grounded one as it finds earthy expression in our practical caring for one another in this beautiful material world : – ) 

 

A Riddle:

Q. How do you make an unlawful house lawful?

A. You move four criters and two cars out, and then move 4 critters and two cars in.

Faced with dilemma of mounting fines and lawsuits from the City, and seeking to be law abiding while not wanting to fail to show divine hospitality to our God sent guests, I prayed the only prayer possible:

“God Help Us!”

….and he did.

I woke one night and Dad popped an idea into my head, so the next morning I texted our son Luke and his wife Katie. I told them the situation:

……that the day before we left for N Carolina, Shiela had come to us and said that she felt they were strong enough now, and ready for the next step, which was to find a place of their own while maintaining the family ties with us.

…..that Shiela was planning to move….. but the City had given us only one week’s notice….too little time for her to find somewhere.

“No problem” Luke and Katie said, “We can do a house swop for a few months!” 

…..and so last Sunday, Shiela, Amber Sky, Hopa and David, packed up their belongings and moved to the Luke Kyle’s house as their temporary dwelling in Minneapolis, while Luke, Katie, Rex the dog and Steve the cat packed up and moved in here. As they are all Kyles……that makes us now  – “legal”

(To say “The Law is an ass” in this instance would seem to me a grievous insult to another of God’s good criters : – )

We reckoned the basement would work better for the animals, so Matt and Ali the two remaining non-Kyle legal residents happily offered to move their stuff up three flights of stairs to new quarters there.

• 

All in all it was a day filled with a spontaneous outpouring of kindness and consideration.

“....not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” (Phil.2:4)

It was an experience of  ‘the kingdom of God’ on earth as we watched people’s lives graciously flowing together.  

As I closed the trunk of our car to transport the ladies belongings I noticed our license plate which I had seen a thousand times before. I paused to reflect wondering if there might be a message in it for us at this juncture in all our lives.

The number 9 represents “Visitation” where God comes to assess and pass judgement. The number 4 is a most significant number for Native people. (The four directions, colors, seasons of life etc. )

I realized we had just experienced a visitation of God. In the visitation of this Indian family, we had been under review by God. Would we treat these ‘little ones’ (Matt.25:40 TPT) as he would want us to?

I felt we all received the answer in the VXL. The X represents Christ’s selfless love displayed on the Cross. The V and the L, the Victory of this Love lived out.

Consistent with the ‘kingdom of God’ essentials I outlined last week, we harbor no resentment against anyone for these ongoing challenges that we have had to walk through for over a year now. Quite the contrary we are so thankful to God ……I’ll explain why in the next blog : -)